Material handling apparatus



United States Patent [50} Fieldol'SearchWH. 214/518,

inventor Carl E. Marshall 123 Liberty St., Franklin, Pennsylvania 519,83.26. 83, 17.64, 22, 83.14; 198/62, 103, 53; 16323 [5 6 ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 121 1 Appl. No, 777,628

Filed Nov. 21, 1968 Continuation of Ser. No. 566,785. July 21, 1966,ahandoned. Patented Dec. 1, 1970 Primary Examiner-Albert J. MakayAttorney-E. Wallace Breisch [54] MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS [2 Claims,12 Drawing Figs.

mm mm m g ne Mb hm mm tr ae rt ma m 0o vm .w. mu ne ar m a m c m D. A0v. Tl m Ba Aw and a method and means for distributing such material 860p1/36 throughoutthecompartment.

[51 I Int. Cl..

alloaaso l 1 I Patented Dec. 1, 1970 shet INVENTOR. Carl. E. Marsfialt.

Patented Dec. 1, 1970 Sheet Z of 4 Rotation INVENTOR.

Carl. E. Ma rsfiau.

' Patented Dec. 1,1970 3,543,954

Rotation Rotation Rotation INVENTOR. CarL E. Marshall.

Patented Dec. 1, 1970 Sheet i 01 4 INVENTOR Carl E. MarsfialL.

MATERIALHANDLING APPARATUS.

This application is a continuation of US. Pat. application Ser. No.566,785, filed July 21, 1966, now abandoned.

The present invention concerns an improved method and means fordistributing particulate material delivered into a load compartmentwhereby material is uniformly distributed throughout the confines of theload compartment. The. distributing means of the present inventionconsists of at least one elongated arm member pivotably supported formovement in a path or orbit extending, over the-bottom'surfaces of theload compartment. The pivotable member has one elongated face portionwhich encounters loaded material and is disposed rearwardly of the pivotaxis with respect to the direction of movement of the arm member along'the orbit, thus being operable as a trailing blade. The resistanceforces of the material acting on this face portion combinewith theorbiting forces to provide a; resultant dynamic force havinga componentwhich produces a momentabout the pivot axis to effect a pivoting of thearm member to rise with the rising level of material being loaded intothe compartment. The arm member continues to rise until the line of theresultant dynamic force passes through the pivot axis at which time thearm member will no longer rise and will remain stabilized in a fixedplane. The elongated arm member has a second elongated face portionwhich is a retreating facewi'th respect to the one elongated faceportion previously described. When the direction of movement of thearmmember along; the orbit is reversed the retreating face willencounter material and since such retreating face is disposed forwardlyof the: pivot point the resultant dynamic force acting on the arm memberwill have a component producing'a moment about the pivot point whichwill cause a downward urging of the arm member; The method of thepresent invention comprises the steps of loading material into a loadcompartment, distributing such material about the confines of the loadcompartment by-a movable member, raising the moving'member with thelevel of' the material pile, and using the same arm member to providerapid discharge of the material'from the compartment.

Various advantages of the present invention will become apparent uponconsideration of the following description and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a material handling apparatus embodying thedistribution means of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a material-handling apparatus ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a substantial portion of'the apparatusof FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of a material handling apparatussuch as that shown in FIGS. 1. and 2 showing a portion of thedistributing means positioned with respect to a level of material;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4' showing the material at a higherlevel and the portion of the distributing. means in another positionwith respect to such material;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the material being dischargedfrom the material-handling apparatus and portions of the distributingmeans positioned with respect to the'level of the material;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing material being furtherdischarged and portions of'the distributing means differently positionedwith respect to the level of the material;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a part of the apparatus of FIG. 2',showing another embodiment of the arm element of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing still another embodiment ofthe arm element of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing yet another embodiment ofthe arm element of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a side elevation view of the arm element shown in theperspective of FIG. 10; and

FIG. 12 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 11.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a materialhandlingapparatus 10 having the general configuration of the apparatus describedin the copending application having the Ser. No- 403,435, filed Sept.30, 1964, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,278,062, and assigned to the assignee ofthe present invention. Briefly, such apparatus 10 comprises anelongated, open top, dish shaped body 12 and a rearwardlylongitudinally-extending laterally-swingable rear end member 13. Thebody 12 and rear end member 13 are supported for mobility by oppositelylaterally-arranged suitably-driven ground-engaging front andrear wheels14. The body 12 has a centrally-disposed bearing-support portion shownas an upwardly converging, frustoconical bottom portion 15 and sidewallsl6 and 17 having upwardly sloping portions. 18 and 19 respectively,extending laterally outwardly from bottom portion 15, and verticalportions 20 and 21 extending upwardly from the outer reaches of slopingportions 18 and 19 which vertical portions terminate in top, edges 22.and 23 respectively. The forward end of body 12 comprises a forward wall27sloping upwardly from the lower'forward edge of bottom portion 15. Acontinuous trough 24extendsrearwardly from the rearwardmost portion ofbottom 15 and extends through the rear end member 13. An endless, singlechain driven flight conveyor 26 is disposed in trough-2.4 fordischarging material from body 12.

It is to be noted that the bearing-support portion could be a generallycylindrical member joined to a substantially flat bottom portion by asuitably shaped foot portion thereof. and that the single chain flight.conveyor 25 can be any suitable conveyor suchas double-chain or bar typeor the like. i

It is further to be noted that in the case of nonclrcular orbit at thearm portion 32 would be generally normal to a pivot axis which is aradius vector (a line normal to a tangent of the orbit at a givenpoint).

A hub member 26 (see FIG. 3) is arranged centrally of the bottom portion15 which hub member is connected with a reversiblemotor (not shown) forrotation about a vertical axis of rotation in either a clockwise orcounterclockwise direction as viewed in plan. The hub member 26 has fourgenerally cylindrical pivot pins 28 extending radially outwardly from anupper portion thereof and spaced apart with their respective centerlineslying in acommon plane normal to the axis of rotation of hub member 26.Eachpivotpin 28 supports an identical distributing arm 30. For the sakeof clarity one distributing arm 30 and its relationship to sidewall 16and bottom portion 15 will be described'with the understanding that suchdescription relates to all of the distributing arms 30. Thedistributing'arm 30' has an'el'ongated support portion 32 with acircular'opening 33 atone end thereof for pivotal mounting of supportportion 32 on a pivot pin 28, which support portion is normal to thecenterline of pivot pin 28 and, when body 12 is empty,rextends laterallyand downwardly from pivot pin 28 in a direction clockwise from pivot pin28 as viewed in FIG. 3. The support portion 32 is fixed against slidingon pivot pin 28 by any suitable retaining means. The end of the support32 awayfrom opening 33 has fixed thereto and extending at an angleslightly greater than 90 obliquely away from the radial axis of pin 28the wide end of an elongated parallel faced, tapered materialencountering or working portion 34 having an advancing or working face34a and a retreating face 34b which working portion 34, when body 12 isempty, extends towards the sloping portion 18 of sidewall 16 and has itsbottomsurface closely adjacent the surface of the bottom portion 15. Theworking portion 34 is also inclined about 20 clockwise with respect tothe plane containing the axis of hub member 26 and the bottom edge ofworking face 34a facing upwardly from bottom portion 15. The narrow endof working 4-7. FIG. 4 shows material being loaded into the body 12 overthe forward wall 27 thereof and the hub member 26 being rotated in acounterclockwise direction. The advancing face 34a of working portion 34of each distributing arm 30 will encounter material and the resistenceforces of the material acting on working portion 34 will act with therotational forces about the axis of pivot pin 28 to impart on thedistributing arm 30 a resultant force having vertical and horizontalcomponents. The moment due to such vertical and horizontal components ofthat force will cause the distributing arm 30 to pivot upwardly and risewith the rising level of the material pile. During this stage of theloading operation, the distributing arm 30 will float near the topsurface of the material pile and will uniformly spread the materialabout the inner confines of body 12. Each distributing arm 30 willcontinue to rise until the line of direction of the resultant dynamicforce acting on the working portion 34 passes through the pivot pin 28to which such arm 30 is attached. at which time the moments acting aboutthe pivot pin 28 will cancel each other, and the arm 30 will ceaserising with the rising level of material. In other words the attitude ofthe distributing arms 30 will become stabilized with faces 34a above theplane of the axes of the pivot pins 28. Any additional material loadedinto the body 12 will accumulate above each distributing arm 30 and willbe distributed uniformly about the inner confines of body 12 as shown inFIG. 5.

A major advantage inthe operation of the arms of this invention residesin the reduced power required to maintain the rotation of these arms ina nearly full compartment as compared with arms of the prior art.

FIG. 6 illustrates the beginning of the discharge cycle at which timethe conveyor 25 is operated an and the hub member 26 rotated in aclockwise direction. The hub member 26 is, desirably, rotated at arotational speed somewhat higher than during the filling cycle in orderto impart the necessary torque to the distributing arms 30 for rapiddischarge of material from the body 12. With the hub member 26 beingrotated in a clockwise direction the retreating face 341) of workingportion 34 is inclined into the material pile. The vertical andhorizontal components of the resultant dynamic force acting on thedistributing arm 30 will cause moments about the pivot pin 28 whichmoments together will urge the distributing arm 30 into the materialpile. The conveyor 25 will carry material rearwardly of the body and thematerial carried will be taken form the position adjacent the lowerrearward end of the bottom portion 15. The initial carrying of materialby the conveyor 25 will create a void in the material pile, and as adistributing arm 30 reaches such void it will drip into it. Suchdistributing arm 30 in the void will remain in that relatively lowerposition after encountering the material at the side of the void due tothe downwardly directed moment of such arm (see FIG. 7). Thisdistributing arm 30 will cut into the mater pile and will act to move alarge amount of material in the clockwise direction to the conveyor 25.As each additional distributing arm 30 approaches the voids created inthe material pile the aforesaid action will repeat itself. The hubmember 26 can be rotated clockwise and the conveyor 25 operated untilall the material is discharged from the body 12. Any material whichtends to adhere to the sloping portion 18 and 19 of the sidewalls l and16 and the sloping front end of body 12 is wiped clear by the fingerportions 36 and cylindrical rods 37 of the distributing arms 30.

The attitude in which the distributing arm 30 can be stabilized withrespect to the level of material pile can be varied by suitablyadjusting the location of the pivot pins 28 with respect to the body 12and by suitably varying the length of the support portion 32 of eachdistributing arm 30 together with the length, shape and inclination ofthe working portion 34 of each distributing arm 30.

The pivot pins 28 can be skewed, extended laterally at an angle to,spaced parallel to a radius extending from the axis of rotation ofthehub member 26. It is important that whichever orientation of pivot pinsselected, the distributing arm 30 pivot upwardly as the result of thevertical and horizontal components of the resultant force acting on theworking portion 34 of such rotating distributing arm until such portion34 reaches a plane where the line of direction of the'resultant dynamicforce passes through the pivot point at which location the moments aboutthe pivot point caused by the vertical and horizontal components of theresultant dynamic force cancel each other. Equally important is that theworking portion 34 of each distributing arm 30 be positioned relative tothe pivot pin 28 during rotation in a direction opposite of that wherethe resultant dynamic force results in the upward movement ofdistributing arm 30 such that a downward urging of distributing arm 30results. Further with respect to the interaction ofthe dynamic forcesacting on distributing arm 30. it will be appreciated that theinclination of the working portion 34 can vary over a range and beupwardly or downwardly inclined within the respective plane containingthe axis of hub member 26 and the bottom edge of face 34a. Furthermore,working portion 34 can have a curvilinear surface since the abovedescribed interaction of dynamic forces is independent of the shape ofworking portion 34.

FlG. 8 shows a distributing arm 30' for use in the present invention,which arm has an outer portion ofits working portion 34 curvilinearlybent to be convex with a direction of counterclockwise rotation of thehub member 26. It has been observed that by using such a distributingarm 30' some material is carried over the conveyor 25 during thedischarge cycle and thus discharging of material slower than that of theheretofore described embodiment. it has also been observed that thedistributing arm 30' also rises at a slower rate with respect to thelevel of material than does the distributing arm 30 having a straightworking portion 34.

FIG. 9 shows a distributing arm 30 having an end portion of its workingportion 34" attached thereto by means of a flat resilient spring steelmember 40 rigidly fixed with the end portion and the rest of workingportion 34". When material is loaded into body 12 and the hub member 26is rotated counterclockwise the end portion of working portion 34" willdeflect in a clockwise direction due to the forces acting thereon. Thedeflected end of working portion 34 will be retained in such position'bythe sloping walls, 18, 19 and the sloping portion of the forward lend offorward end of body 12 until the distributing arm 30" reaches the trough24 in the area of conveyor 25, that is, rearwardly of sloping portion 18of side wall 16, at which point the end portion of working portion 34"will deflect and thereby throw the material rearwardly-of the body 12.This behavior of the distributing arm 30" will result in the body 12making greater use ofits storage capacity. The distributing arm 30" willalso aid the discharging of the material from the body 12 by urgingmaterial in a clockwise direction and throwing it rearwardly of the body12 as it reaches trough 24 above the conveyor 25.

FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 show a distributing arm 30" having a working portion34" having a modified diamond-shaped cross section as shown in FIG. 12.This diamond-shape cross section is symmetrical about a plane extendinglongitudinally through the working portion 34" of distributing arm 30",which plane is normal to the surface of bottom portion 15 of an emptybody 12. Working portion 34" has an advancing face 42 in the directionof counterclockwise rotation of hub member 26, which advancing face hasan upper surface 42a inclined to face upwardly in the counterclockwisedirection of rotation and a lower surface 42b inclined to facedownwardly in the counterclockwise direction of rotation. The workingportion 34""also has a retreating face 44 in the direction of clockwiserotation which retreating face has an upper surface 440 inclined to faceupwardly in the clockwise direction and a lower surface 44b inclined toface downwardly in the clockwise direction of rotation. During thefilling cycle with the hub member 26 being rotated in a counterclockwisedirection the resultant dynamic force acting upon the distributing arm30" is normal to the lower surface 42h. Lower surface 42b is smaller inarea than the surfaces of the working portions of the distributing armsdescribed hereinbefore, therefore the resultant dynamic force acting onsuch lower surfaces 42b will be smaller-than those acting on the workingportions of distributing arms described hereinbefore. The moments actingon distributing arm 34" is therefore smaller than the moments acting onthe distributing arms described hereinbefore and the distributing arm34" will rise slower with the level of the material pile than thedistributing arms described hereinbefore. The distributing arm 34" issubstantially coplanar with the plane of rotation of hub member 26, thatis, the plane of symmetry of arm 34" will be substantially horizontal.During the discharge cycle the lower surface 44b of retreating face 44encounters material and has the desired inclination for downwardlypivoting the distributing arm 34".

Lower surface 44b is smaller in area than the surface of the retreatingface of the working portions of the distributing arms describedhereinbefore. Thus, during discharge of material the resultant dynamicforce acting on distributing arm 34" is less than the resultant dynamicforce acting on the distributing arms described hereinbefore andaccordingly, the moment acting on distributing arm 34" is less. As aresult of this distributing arm 34' will move downwardly into a materialpile at a slower rate than the distributing arms described hereinbeforewhile at the same time demanding less torque output by the drivingmeans.

Hub member 26 can be made to float upwardly and downwardly with respectto bottom portion 15. By such a floating arrangement the depth of body12 could be made greater to thereby increase its storage capacity.

A multiplicity of rotating distributing means (i.e. hub member26-distributing arm 30 assemblies) can be suitably ar ranged in astorage body to suit desired applications. Furthermore, the hub member26 can be rotated about an axis of rotation set at an angleto a verticalplane passing through the selected storage body. I

The distributing arms 30 can be arranged to move along a noncircularorbit since the dynamic force will interact to raise and lower adistributing arm 30 regardless of the path of movement. For example,distributing arms 30 can be pivotably supported as previously describedon a single driven chain, such as used with a single chain flightconveyor, and the assembly suitably arranged to move in an orbitextending over the bottom surface of a desired load compartment.

Having described embodiments of my present invention in accordance withthe patent statutes, it is to be realized that modifications may be madewithout departing from the broad scope of this invention. Accordingly,it is respectfully requested that the scope of this invention not berestricted to the specific forms shown for the uses mentioned except tothe extent indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A material-handlingapparatus comprising: a body defining an upwardlyopen storage compartment having a bottom surface; at least one arm.member within said compartment movable in an orbit over and above asubstantial part of said bottom surface to distribute materialthroughout said compartment, said arm member having a support portionextending generally normal to a radius vector of said path, one end ofsaid support portion being supported for pivoting about said radiusvector, said arm member having an elongated materialencountering portionextending at an obtuse angle to said support portion obliquelyaway fromsaid radius vector generally in the same direction and having anupwardly extending working face thereon.

2. A material-handling apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidmaterial-encountering portion trails said pivot axis of said supportmember when said arm member moves in one direction of movement.

3. A material-handling apparatus as set forth in claim 1 additionallycomprising: an elongated transporting means located downwardly adjacentan opening in in a portion of said storage compartment and operable toremove material from said compartment portion.

4. A material-handling apparatus as set forth in claim 3 countersmaterial until the line of direction of the resultant force passesthrough said pivot axis; and said retreating face having at least aportion thereof inclined upwardly away from said radial line so thatsaid arm member will be urged downwardly when said material-encounteringportion encounters material during movement of said arm member in adirection opposite said given direction of movement.

5. A material-handling apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein saidarm member is movable in a closed path having an axis extending upwardlyfrom said bottom surface.

6. A material-handling apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein saidarm member is rotatable in a generally circular closed path.

7. A material-handling apparatus as set forth in claim 6 including a hubmember extending from said bottom surface and rotatable about anupwardly extending axis from said bottom surface; said arm member ispivotably supported at an upper region of said hub member; said pivotaxis extends radiallyfrom said upwardly extending axis.

-8. A material-handling apparatus asset forth in claim 3 wherein saidmaterial-encountering portion of said arm member has a portion of thefree end thereof 'curvilinearly bent to form a convex section withrespect to said one direction of movement,

9. A material-handling apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidmaterial-encountering portion of said arm member has a portion of thefree end-thereof resiliently attached to the remainder of saidmaterial-encountering portion.

10. A material-handling apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidmaterial-encountering portion of said arm member has a diamond-shapedcross section having at least four surfaces inclined with respect to theline of movement of said given direction of movement.

11. A material-handling apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein saidmaterial-encountering portion of said arm member has two of said foursurfaces facing in an advancing direction with respect to said givendirection of movement and two of said four surfaces facing in aretreating direction with respect to said given direction of movement ofsaid armv

